bicibob
Finally riding a big boys bike
Bike Friends,
I'm building a house and need funds! I've decided it's time to part with my Bluebird. I've owned it since the early 80's when a delinquent type person dragged it in bits and pieces into the bike shop where I worked . At that time (and still,) I was known as being the "old bike collector dude." It was poorly painted over and in pretty rough shape but I recognized it as an Elgin Bluebird. I proceeded to stuff it into a bike box and stored it until about a year ago. Hey, life gets busy and I had a family and career to deal with....
I spent weeks straightening, stripping and re-assembling this rig until it began to look like the Bluebird in the picture above. The only non-original parts to my knowledge are the following:
The saddle, I received the bike with an incorrect post war model.
The rear hub. It came to me with a Morrow, which I've replaced with a finned Musselman-Elgin. The rear rim matched the front, so I'm unclear whether the hub had been replaced at some point or possibly the Morrow was original....?
The rear carrier. I still have the original, but the tail's broken off and missing.
The drop stand. The bike had a crappy Wald kickstand.
Even though a '38 would not have had one, I've added the fender repro ornament, just because. Otherwise, frame-fork, headset, crank-BB, pedals, bars-grips-stem-seatpost-fenders-tank are all original. No rot anywhere. Always thought I would restore this baby someday, but it's time for you to take it to the next level.
Missing items would be the headlight lens and guts. I've inserted a clear plastic lens and a small headlight for grins. Seems this rig would have been a basic, late '38 model which would not have had a chainguard, horn or a speedo. The speedo display would have had an Elgin emblem, which had faded completely. I added the X-Pert logo as a place holder.
Full disclosure: The fork was quite bent, including the steerer. To the point that the front fender contacted the downtube. Being a lifelong backyard mechanic, I was able to convince it back into alignment. It now tracks straight and rides no hands as it should.
I have lots more photos. Including before pix of the ugliest blue housepaint job you've ever seen.
PM with serious interest as I'd love to find a new owner for this classic!
Thanks, Bicibob
I'm building a house and need funds! I've decided it's time to part with my Bluebird. I've owned it since the early 80's when a delinquent type person dragged it in bits and pieces into the bike shop where I worked . At that time (and still,) I was known as being the "old bike collector dude." It was poorly painted over and in pretty rough shape but I recognized it as an Elgin Bluebird. I proceeded to stuff it into a bike box and stored it until about a year ago. Hey, life gets busy and I had a family and career to deal with....
I spent weeks straightening, stripping and re-assembling this rig until it began to look like the Bluebird in the picture above. The only non-original parts to my knowledge are the following:
The saddle, I received the bike with an incorrect post war model.
The rear hub. It came to me with a Morrow, which I've replaced with a finned Musselman-Elgin. The rear rim matched the front, so I'm unclear whether the hub had been replaced at some point or possibly the Morrow was original....?
The rear carrier. I still have the original, but the tail's broken off and missing.
The drop stand. The bike had a crappy Wald kickstand.
Even though a '38 would not have had one, I've added the fender repro ornament, just because. Otherwise, frame-fork, headset, crank-BB, pedals, bars-grips-stem-seatpost-fenders-tank are all original. No rot anywhere. Always thought I would restore this baby someday, but it's time for you to take it to the next level.
Missing items would be the headlight lens and guts. I've inserted a clear plastic lens and a small headlight for grins. Seems this rig would have been a basic, late '38 model which would not have had a chainguard, horn or a speedo. The speedo display would have had an Elgin emblem, which had faded completely. I added the X-Pert logo as a place holder.
Full disclosure: The fork was quite bent, including the steerer. To the point that the front fender contacted the downtube. Being a lifelong backyard mechanic, I was able to convince it back into alignment. It now tracks straight and rides no hands as it should.
I have lots more photos. Including before pix of the ugliest blue housepaint job you've ever seen.
PM with serious interest as I'd love to find a new owner for this classic!
Thanks, Bicibob